Scaffolds based on hyaluronan and carbon nanotubes gels.

Physico-chemical and mechanical properties of hyaluronic acid/carbon nanotubes nanohybrids have been correlated with the proportion of inorganic nanophase and the preparation procedure. The mass fraction of -COOH functionalized carbon nanotubes was varied from 0 to 0.05.

Influence of scaffold morphology on co-cultures of human endothelial and adipose tissue-derived stem cells.

The interior of tissue engineering scaffolds must be vascularizable and allow adequate nutrients perfusion in order to ensure the viability of the cells colonizing them. The promotion of rapid vascularization of scaffolds is critical for thick artificial constructs. In the present study co-cultures of human endothelial and adipose tissue-derived stem cells have been performed in poly(ethyl acrylate) scaffolds with two different pore structures: grid-like (PEA-o) or sponge-like (PEA-s), in combination with a self-assembling peptide gel filling the pores, which aims to mimic the physiological niche.

Topologically controlled hyaluronan-based gel coatings of hydrophobic grid-like scaffolds to modulate drug delivery.

Scaffolds based on poly(ethyl acrylate) having interwoven channels were coated with a hyaluronan (HA) hydrogel to be used in tissue engineering applications. Controlled typologies of coatings evolving from isolated aggregates to continuous layers, which eventually clog the channels, were obtained by using hyaluronan solutions of different concentrations. The efficiency of the HA loading was determined using gravimetric and thermogravimetric methods, and the hydrogel loss during the subsequent crosslinking process was quantified, seeming to depend on the mass fraction of hyaluronan initially incorporated to the pores.

Hydrophilic surface modification of acrylate-based biomaterials.

Acrylic polymers have proved to be excellent with regard to cell adhesion, colonization and survival, in vitro and in vivo. Highly ordered and regular pore structures thereof can be produced with the help of polyamide templates, which are removed with nitric acid. This treatment converts a fraction of the ethyl acrylate side groups into acrylic acid, turning poly(ethyl acrylate) scaffolds into a more hydrophilic and pH-sensitive substrate, while its good biological performance remains intact.

Peptide gel in a scaffold as a composite matrix for endothelial cells.

The performance of a composite environment with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) has been studied to provide an in vitro proof of concept of their potential of being easily vascularized. These cells were seeded in 1 mm thick scaffolds whose pores had been filled with a self-assembling peptide gel, seeking to improve cell adhesion, and viability of these very sensitive cells. The combination of the synthetic elastomer poly(ethyl acrylate), PEA, scaffold and the RAD16-I peptide gel provides cells with a friendly ECM-like environment inside a mechanically resistant structure.